Can end assembling machine



I y 1940- r J. M. HOTHERSALL ET AL 2,200,27

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CAN END ASSEMBLING MACHINE May 14, 1940.

Filed Oct. 31, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 2A B g N215 TO 5- )9. ATT NEYS M y 14, 1940- J. M. HOTHERSALL El AL 2.200.276

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CAN END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Oct; 31, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 mom ' Patented May 14, 1940 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN END ASSEMBLING MACHINE Application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 238,094

20 Claims.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for making a tubular fibre can by preparing the can body for the reception of the can end members and for securely sealing the end members in 5 place, and has particular reference to an apparatus for beading fibre can bodies adjacent the ends, positioning the end members and then bending the beaded sections over the end members to produce the finished can.

The apparatus disclosed in the drawings and described herein is adapted for use in the manufacture of fibre containers and the container illustrated in the Hothersall Patent 2,085,979, issued by the United States Patent Oflice onJuly 16 6, 1937, has been chosen to exemplify a type container adapted for treatment.

An object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus for selectively receiving formed tubular can bodies and for advancing-the bodies 20 through a series of operating stations during which travel the body wall adjacent each end is reshaped to provide a seat for a can end and after the ends are placed the edges of the body are finally sealed over the end members.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a longitudinal section of a fibre container adapted to be operated on in the apparatus embodied in the present invention, part being broken away; 35 Fig, 2 is a cross section of the tubular body illustrated in Fig. 1, being taken substantially along the line 2-2 in that figure;

' Fig. 3 is a longitudinal fragmentary View of one body wall end illustrating the effect of a beading 40 operation and showing the wall initially beaded;

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating a subsequent operation in which the bottom end member has been inserted in position and the beaded section further altered;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the top of a fibre container with the top end member in position and disclosing the same operation upon the body as is shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a 50 further bending operation of the beaded body wall;

Fig. '7 is a similar view showing the finally clinched joint between the body and the bottom; v

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one end of the apparatus this end containing the initial operating elements and showing the feeding of can bodies into a conveyor;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken substantially along the line 9---!! in Fig. 8 and illustrating one 5 sprocket end of the conveyor;

Fig. 10 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale as taken substantially along the line l0l 0 in Fig. 8 parts being broken away and showing mechanism at a first or initial bottom beading station A where beading as shown in Fig. 3 is performed;

Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the apparatus at the first operating station, parts being broken away;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view illustrating part of the operating elements of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken in part along the line l3-l3 in Fig. 10, parts being broken away;

Fig. 14 is a sectional detail taken substantially along the line I l-44 in Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is'a perspective view of one end of the apparatus showing substantially the same operating station as shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 16 is a tranverse sectional view taken substantially along the line lG-IG in Fig. 8 drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating the operating parts at a third bottom end inserting 30 and corner tucking station C where the results shown in Fig. 4 are accomplished;

Fig. 17 is a part end elevation and part sectional-view of the apparatus at the third station C being taken substantially along the broken line l'l-l'| in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a sectional detail taken substantially along the line |8-l8 in Fig. 16;

Fig. 19 is a transverse sectional view taken through a fourth or top end inserting and corner tucking station D, the relative locationof this section being broadly suggested by the line l9-l9 in Fig. 17 where the same results on the top end are obtained as shown in Fig. 4 of the bottom end;

Fig. 20 is a sectional view partly broken away of other mechanism at the station D, being substantially a section taken along the broken line 20-2ll in Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 is a transverse section at a fifth or bottom end pressing station E the location of this section being substantially as indicated by the line 2l-2l in Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is a sectional detail partly broken away and taken substantially along the broken line 2222 in Fig. 21;

Fig. 23 is a. sectional view showing parts of the apparatus located at a sixth or top end pressing station F, some of the mechanism being substantially of the same nature as that shown in Fig. 21 of the fifth station;

Fig. 24' is a side elevation of a middle portion of the apparatus embodying the present invention, this figure illustrating on the same scale a continuation of the parts of the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 8, Fig. 24 showing the location of the operating stations E and F and also other stations G and H;

Fig. 25 is a view similar to Fig. 24 illustrating the discharge end of the apparatus and embodying still other stations I and J, Figs. 8, 24 and 25 showing the complete apparatus when considered collectively;

a Fig. 26 is a transverse sectional view of parts located at a container heating station H, the section being substantially as viewed along the line 25-25 in Fig. 24;

Fig. 27 is .a fragmentary elevation of a portion of the apparatus located at a bottom and sealing station I and showing cooling pipe connections;

Fig. 28' is a sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 27 as viewed substantially. along the line 2828 in that figure;

Fig. 29 is a transverse sectional view of apparatus parts at the bottom end sealing station I, the location of this section being suggested by'the broken line 29-29 in Fig. 25;

Fig. 30 is a plan sectional view showing in part the driving mechanism for the entire machine the plane ofsection being indicated as to horizontal location by the respective section lines 30-30 in each of the Figures 8, 24 and 25;

Figs. 31 and 32 are transverse sectional views taken substantially on the respective section lines 3l3l and 32-32 in Fig. 30 and showing various details of the driving mechanism on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 33 is a perspective view looking from the back of the machine of parts of the mechanism located at the end inserting and corner tucking station C, parts being broken away;

Fig. 34 is a perspective detail of the corner tucking head as it would appear if removed from the adjoining parts shown in Fig. 33;

Fig. 35 is a transverse sectional view taken through the top end inserting and corner tucking station D being viewed from the opposite side from that of Fig. 19 but showing some of the same parts; and

Figs. 36, 37., 38 and 39 are views showing a top end in the various positions assumed as it passes through station D.

The apparatus embodying the present invention is adapted to receive open ended tubular articles (Figs. 1 and 2) such as fibre can bodies a. which are shown in the drawings as being of square cross section. Such bodies preferably carry a margin of thermoplastic adhesive 3: (Figs. 1, 3 and 15) on their inner surfaces at both ends of the body. These can-bodies are 10- cated in stack formation within a magazine 5| (Figs. 8 and 15). The lowermost body a is adapted to be slid horizontally from the bottom of the stack by a feeding device 52 the body being inserted into a pocket 53 of a continuously moving endless conveyor 54.

At the feed-in end of the apparatus the conveyor 56, which operates along horizontal runs,

passes over a sprocket 55 (Figs. 8 and 9). At the other end of the first section of the apparatus this being adjacent the center of the entire machine, the endless conveyor 54 passes over a similar sprocket 56 (Figs. 24 and 30). The conveyor is moved so that the can bodies as received in the pockets 53 are first lifted as the conveyor moves over the sprocket 55 and are then moved along the horizontal upper run of the conveyor toward the right as viewed in Figs. 8 and 15.

The conveyor 54 is intermittently operated by Geneva mechanism 51 (Fig. 9) there being provided a separate Geneva drive for each sprocket 55, 56. During the time that the can body a is moving in its step by step advancement with the conveyor 54, it is successively brought to rest at operating stations A to F, inclusive, and at each station certain work is performed.

At an initial bottom beading station A, one end of the container body is acted upon by an outer beading mechanism 6| (Figs. 11 to 14, inclusive) and an inner beading mechanism 52. This operation fonns a peripheral bead b (Fig. 3) around one end of the can body a.

When the can body a with one end beaded comes to rest at a second or initial top beading station B, the same operation is performed upon spects to the bead b. The same mechanism may beused at the station B that is used atstation A the only difference being that it is turned around so that it operates on the opposite end. This mechanism will be referred to again hereinafter.

At a bottom end inserting and corner tucking station C, a bottom end d (Fig. 4) is seated on the bead b of the can body a. At this station the bottom ends d are arranged in stack formation within an end magazine 65 (Figs. 16, 17 and 18) The lowermost end in the stack is cut out or slid off of the stack by an end; cut-out device 65 which passes the separated end d through continuously rotating rollers 61, 68. A reciprocating feeding device 69 thereuponv receives the separated end and advances it in two step movements into an inserting head mechanism 15 (Fig. 16).

The inserting head mechanism operates to position the separated end d into the open end of a can body a held at the station 0 which can body has been shifted relative to the conveyor to position its beaded end into outer holding jaws 16 which hold the body while the end is inserted.

Immediately following the time of insertion, a comer tuck-in device 11 operates to tuck in the corners of the bottom terminal edge of the can body a these tucked-in comers being designated by the letter e in Fig. 4. This tucking-in of the corners alters the intermediate terminal edge of the can body adjacent the bead b thereby drawing in or bending the body edge flange sections at an angle, these sections being designated by the letter I. This assists in holding the bottom end in place.

At the next station which is a top end inserting and corner tucking station D, substantially the same operation is performed on the opposite beaded end of the can body, this time a top end member g (Fig. 5) being inserted into the top end of the can body a. A stack of top ends a are held in a magazine 8| (Figs. 19 and 20) at the station D and the lowermost top end member 9 is cut out or separated from the stack by a spiral worm thread formed on a rotating head 82 disposed at one side of the bottom of the magazine 8|.

The top end member g is provided with a closure tab h. (Fig. 5) secured thereto by a staple i and this adds a double thickness to each end member g as it rests in the stack. It is therefore necessary to first separate the lowermost top member from the stack Within the magazine prior to feeding and this is the function of the worm thread of the head 82. A part of the closure tab when hinged back on the staple 1' moves from closed position into open position.

The separated top member g is moved down in an arcuate path and by a step by step motion being fed forward by a reciprocating feeding device 83 (Fig. 19). Device 83 positions the top member into an inserting head mechanism 84 arranged at the station D. The inserting head operates to force a top member g into the open beaded top section of the can body adjacent. The top end of this body has previously been substantially the same in construction as the jaws H5 at the station C. Jaws 85 hold the body a while the end g is entering.

The inserting head mechanism 84 also carries a corner tuck-in device 86 (Figs 33 and 34) which operates in a manner identical to device IT at the station C. After the 'top end inserting and corner tucking operations, the top terminal flange of the body a adjacent the bead c is tucked in at the corners, as at 7' (Fig. 5), and the side wall flange sections of the body intermediate are drawn in or bent slightly as at k to hold the top member g in place.

The can body a with its bottom and top ends thus attached is next advanced into a bottom end pressing station E where the slightly bent terminal body edge 1 is creased and pressed against the bottom end 11. ..,The pressed down body flange springs back, however, as soon as released and there is then the angular bent flange sections 1 (Figs. 6 and 21). After this operation on the bottom end of the body the is shown the bottom end d of the can body a being inserted into an outer jaw holding device 9|. This device cooperates with a movable pressing head 92 which presses against the terminal edges 1, adjacent the bottom end at of the can body to produce the final bent flanges l illustrated in Fig. 6.

The same operation is performed at station upon the top end of the can body there'being provided in this instance an outer jaw holding device 93 (Fig. 23) which cooperates with a pressing head 94 which is constructed and operated in the same manner as the head 92 at the station D.

All of the preceding operations have been performed upon the can body a while it is being advanced along the upper run of the conveyor 54. After leaving station E the can body continues in its horizontal movement until arriving at the sprocket 56. Passing over the sprocket it comes to a position of transfer in a transfer station G, as illustrated in Fig. 24. This is at the end of the first section of the machine. A transfer mechanism IOI thereupon engages the can body a and removes it from its pocket 53 of the conveyor 54 and places it upon a shelf I02 at the transfer station. The can is moved over the shelf by the action of the transfer mechanism which operates on successively discharged can bodies. These accumulate in a single row on the shelf.

A second intermittently movable endless conveyor I03 is used at a second section of the apparatus. This conveyor is identical in construction to the conveyor 54 and it also operates in a similar manner along horizontal runs. Adjacent the shelf I02 the conveyor I03 passes over a sprocket I04 and then moves up and toward the right on its upper run to the discharge end of the machine where it passes over a similar sprocket I05 (Figs. 25 and 30). The sprockets I04, I05 are preferably positively driven by a Geneva mechanism I05 which is identical in construction to the Geneva drive 51 used for the conveyor chain 54.

The endless conveyor I03 is also provided with a series of cradles or pockets and as one of these pockets comes to rest adjacent the shelf I02, the foremost can body a resting in the line of bodies upon the shelf is moved into the pocket by the transfer device I0 I. The can body thereupon passes upwardly over the sprocket I04 and in a series of step movements is brought to rest successively at a heating station H, a bottom end sealing station I and a top end sealing station J.

The heating station H is quite extensive and the can body passing into this station is brought under a hot air hood I08 (Figs. 24, 25 and 26) and hot air is brought into the station through ducts I09 and is directed against the two ends of the can body, the air escaping by way of the hood I08. This heating of the can at the ends and adjacent the bottom and top end members is utilized to prepare the end joints for the final sealing of the cans preparatory to bringing each end of the can body into the final shape shown in Fig. 'I.

The terminal edges Z and m of the can body a carry a thermoplastic cement :L'. In some cases even the bottom and top end members d and g also have a thermoplastic adhesive on their marginal edges. and conditions the can body parts so that when the can body is finally passed into the sealing stations I and J these adhesive coated sections a bead d of the can body and for holding the body.

securely and these cooperate with a reciprocating squeezing head II6 to again press down the terminal edges Z of the can body so that they will be fiat against the end member d as illustrated in Fig. 7. This is practically the same pressing and creasing operation performed at station E. At this time the bead b undergoes a slight transformation and takes the form indicated by the letter n (Fig. 7), and the terminal flange sections m of the body are again pressed down into flat bottom edge parts 0. These jaws II5 are water cooled so that at the moment 'of squeezing the adhesive is immediately set to hold the proper joint and prevent opening up as at station E. 1

At the station J the top end of the can body is treated in the same manner and by mechanism constructed and operated the same as at Heat renders the adhesive tacky 

